Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1887-01-13

! "Oh, doctor, how could you be so crueig'
she asked in tones which were meant to be re-
proachful, but only poorly disguised her
mirthful appreciation of the whole matter
II wasn't cruel; | only did my duty The
fellows palpable malingerer, and his being
an officer makes it ever so much worse He's
trying to shirk duty and have good time
here in the hospital It's my place to make
the hospital so unpleasant for him that he
viii think the field preferable, and I'm going
| to do it, especially if / find him squeezing
I your hand again"
There was that in the tone OF the last
sentence which sobered her instantly Wo-
/ manly prescience told her that the surgeon
/ had discovered what seemed to him a fitting
opportunity to say TINT which he had long
/ desired. Ever since she had been in the hos
4 pital he had exerted himself to smooth her
| path for her, and make her stay there en-
/ durable. There was not a day in which She
! was not indebted to him for some unobtrusive
kindness, delicately and thoughtfully rem
| dered.
| While she knew quite well that these cour-
| tesies would have been as conscientiously ex-
tended to any other woman--young or old
| in her position, yet her instincts did not allow
her any doubt that there was about them a
| flavor personal to herself, and redolent of
something much warmer than mere lindli-
ness. A knowledge Of this had at times
tainted the pleasure she felt in accepting well
come little attentions from him. She dreaded
what she knew was coming He took her
| hand and started to speak with tremulous
| lips. But almost at the same instant the door
| was flung open, and nurse entered in breath
less haste
1 - Ia,
for you everywhere. That lieutenant in the
First ward thinks he's a-dyin' He's groanin'
an cryin', and atalzin on at a terrible rate,
an nobody can't do nothin' with him. The
steward wants you TO come there right off,
"Its only the castor oil" muttered the
doctor savagely, as he rose TO follow the
nurse.
| This was the letter that the orderly handed
Rachel some days later
DEAR RATIE-Your letter came at last, forwhch
| was so thankful, because had waited so long
| for it that was tired and so anxious that
was almost at my wits end. l am so glad that
you are well, that you have got your room at last
| fixed up real nice and comfortable, as a young
lady should have, and that you find your duties
more agreeable. 1t is SO nice in that Dr.. Denslow
| to help you along as be does. But then that is
what every real gentleman should do for a young
| lady-or old one for that matter. Still, l would
| like 10 thank him so much.
am not at all WELL my heart gives me so much
| trouble-more than ever beforehand as you say
| nothing about coming home have about con
/ eluded TO try what change Of climate and scene
| will do for me, and so have concluded to accept
your Aunt Tabitha's invitation to spend a few
months with her Unless you hear from me to
| the contrary, which you will probably not, as the
! mails are so uncertain in Kentucky, you had bet.
| ter address your next letter me at Eau Claire
y to sec nv hat
| show signs of WEAKNESS with your quixotic
| idea Of CRYING the country in the hospital had
! hoped much that YOU would by this time have
| decided that you had done enough, and come
homo and content Yourself with doing what you
could FIR the sanit~ry fair and the lint scraping
| bees YoUR AFFEcToNATE MOTHER.
| 7. S-Your father is we'll lie win go with me
! to Wisconsin, and then go down to Nebraska to
| look after his land there.
| 7. 81 am SO sorry 10 tell you that Harry Glen
has acted badly again The last letters from the
regiment say that he did not 20 into the fight at
|. Wildcat, and afterwar1 was missing They be-
Heve he was captured, and some say he was taken
prisoner Oh purpose. Everybody $ saying, Il told
you so, and Mrs. Glen has not been on the street
| or to church since the news came. l am 50 sorry
| for her, but then you know that she used to put
on quite as many airs as her position justified.
Z. S.-HoOpskirts are getting smaller every
month, and some are confident that they will 80
entirely out Of fashion by next year. Tdo ohope
| not, so dread having to come back to the old
way of wearing whole clothes basketball Of white
| skirts The new bonnets just the awfulest
things you ever did see. Write soon.
| Rachel crumpled the letter in her hand
with a quick, angry gesture, as il crushing
some hateful, despicable thing, and her clear
hazel eyes blazed.
"Ife is evidently hopeless coward" she
said to herself, "when all that has passed cannot
spur him into an exhibition Of proper spirit.
If he had the love for me he professcd it could
not help stimulating him TO some show of
manliness | viii fling him out of my heart
and my world as l would fling a rotten apple
out Of q basket
Then a sadder and gentler light shone ia
her face.
"PerhGqs / am myself to blame little.
may not be u good source OF Inspiration
to acts of hcrosn. Other girls may have
ways Of stimulating their lovers ~ gh deeds
lash too severely, and instead of rousing him
up / killed all the hope in his heart and made
| him indifferent to his future Possibly, too,
! this story may not be true. The feeling in
Sardis against him is strong, and they are
hardly willing to do him justice No doubt
they misrepresent him in this, as they are apt
to do in everything
Her face hardened again
"But its of no use seeking excuses for him.
My lover-my husband-must be man who
can hold his own with other men, in what
| ever relation Of life the struggle may be.
| The man into whose hands / intrust the hap
| piness of my life must have his qualities so
| clear and distinct that there never will be any
| question about them. He must not need
continual explanation and defense, for then
outraged pride would strangle love with
ruthless hand. No, l must never have reason
to believe that my choice is inferior 10 other
men in anything.
But notwithstanding this, She sinoothed out
the crumpled letter tenderly upon her knee,
and read it over again, in the vain hope of
| finding that the words had less harshness than
| she had at first found in Them
NO she said, after u weary study of the
lines, Its surely worse than mother states it.
| She is so kind and gentle that she never fails
| T. mitigate the harshEess OF anything that
she hears about others,sand she has told me
this as mildly as the case will admit must
give him up forever"
But though She made this resolution with
firm settling Of the lines around her mouth
that spoke strongly Of its probable fulfillment,
the arrival of the decision was the signal for
| the assault of a thousand tender memories
and dear recolleetions, all pleading trumpet
tongued against the summary dismissal Of
the unworthy lover. All the inetfably sweet
incidents of their love life stretched them
selves out in a vista before her, and tempted
her to reserve her decision. But she stayed
her purpose with repeating to herself;
ut will save untold misery hereafter to be
firm now, and end a connection at once that
must be the worse for both of us every day
that it is allowed to continue"
| There was a tap at the door, and DR.. Den
| slow entered.
ITO BIZ Continued